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Chapter 200: No Matter the Choice, Regret is Inevitable
🕑 Added 2025-03-15 12:12:07 +0000 UTC[She relies on you immensely, and you are well aware of it.]
[Letting her depend on you isn't necessarily a bad thing.]
[You have already decided that, on this long journey of life, you will stay by her side.]
[News of you having a girlfriend soon spread across the university through SNS.]
[Many of the girls who were previously interested in you gradually lost enthusiasm.]
[However, at the same time, some girls—who clearly had something wrong with them—became even more obsessed after hearing that you were taken.]
[You had no intention of concerning yourself with such trivial matters. You simply continued focusing on your studies while keeping Rio company.]
[Your university life continued as normal.]
[During this time, through Rio's introduction, you eventually met her parents.]
[However, in reality, her parents did not have a great first impression of you as their future son-in-law.]
[This wasn't because of your family background.]
[Rather, in their eyes, the reason Rio gave up studying physics in Germany was largely because of you.]
[You were well aware of this fact, yet you chose not to tell her parents about her psychological struggles back in high school.]
[You wanted to preserve Rio's perfect image in their eyes.]
[For this, she was filled with guilt.]
"It's all my fault..."
Holding Minami's hand, Rio's voice was barely above a whisper. "It's because of me that my parents—"
"This has nothing to do with you."
Minami gently stroked her head, comforting her, "Your parents aren't wrong. It was because of me that you stayed in Japan."
"But that's because I—"
"Don't worry."
Cutting off her self-blame, Minami smiled.
"You need to have more faith in your boyfriend. Don't worry, once I put in the effort, your parents will definitely accept me."
"Mmm..."
She leaned in, giving him a soft kiss before turning her face away shyly.
"Actually... even if they don't accept you, it doesn't matter. I just want to be with you, Minami."
[Rio has made it clear—no matter what her parents think, she will only be with you and doesn't care about their approval.]
[But you want to give her even greater happiness.]
[And the first step toward that is gaining her parents' acceptance.]
[You soon met with Rio's parents again, and through your witty conversation and mature demeanor, you earned their slight approval.]
[With Rio tirelessly supporting you from behind, their initial poor impression of you gradually softened.]
[Although they weren't fully satisfied, Rio's parents reluctantly accepted you as their daughter's fiancé.]
[With her parents' approval barely secured, your university life soon came to an end.]
[After graduation, with the blessing of both families, you and Rio became engaged.]
[Life quietly arrived at its next turning point.]
"Hmm..."
Reading this far, Minami let out a soft murmur of thought.
From the looks of it, aside from Rio's parents holding some reservations about him, everything was still progressing smoothly.
Love. Engagement.
Life seemed stable.
But what would come next...?
Minami continued reading.
[After graduation came job hunting.]
[Due to her experience as a private tutor during university, Rio easily secured a job as a physics teacher.]
[Once hailed as a physics prodigy, she did not follow the path that everyone had envisioned for her—pursuing advanced research. Instead, she chose to stand on a podium and become an ordinary physics teacher.]
[As for you, your brilliance in university did not go unnoticed.]
[If you wanted, you could have easily landed a prestigious, well-paying job.]
[But you didn't.]
[Moving forward would have made her anxious—you only wanted to stay by her side and enjoy a simple, happy life together.]
[With your talent, you quickly found an unremarkable job as a literature teacher at the same school where Rio worked.]
[Once known as the "Demon King of Studying," someone with limitless potential, you chose a plain and ordinary life.]
[But this was your decision.]
[You simply wanted to stay beside her, watching over her.]
"Ah... so this is where it all went wrong."
Seeing this, Minami furrowed his brows.
Because they cared too much for each other—
They both chose mediocrity in the end.
"Is this happiness?"
Of course, it was.
There's a saying: Even an ordinary life can be fulfilling.
But...
"It could have been even better."
Minami sighed lightly.
Whether it was Rio's talent in physics, or his own academic and social brilliance—
They should have been able to create something even more remarkable.
They should have been able to shine brighter.
And yet, in the end, they both chose the safe and simple route.
On the bed, Yamada Ryo suddenly mumbled in her sleep, turning over groggily.
Minami glanced at her but remained silent.
He continued reading.
[After you both secured jobs, your wedding naturally followed.]
[During this period, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.]
[Days flowed by like a quiet stream, passing uneventfully.]
[Every year, you and Rio visited her parents.]
[Their attitude toward you wasn't overly cold, but neither was it particularly warm—everything remained calm and indifferent.]
[Three years later, your first child was born.]
[Thanks to the presence of your child, your relationship with Rio's parents gradually improved.]
[Rio continued teaching physics, while you remained a literature teacher.]
[Life was simple, yet there were moments of happiness.]
[Before long, you both entered middle age, then old age.]
[Time, like an invisible hand, slowly pulled you and her away from the world.]
[Looking back on your life, the only person you could never let go of was her.]
[But even memories like these will eventually fade with the inevitability of life and death.]
[Simulation complete.]
[Final Score: 65]
[System Evaluation: You and Rio walked a path of mediocrity. Love, even when ordinary, still brings happiness, yet it cannot escape certain regrets.]
[Your encounter with her began because she reached out to you first. A girl in adolescence always carries countless worries and troubles in her heart.]
[You grasped her sorrow, actively moved forward, and embraced her. At that moment, you resolved to protect her—not letting others harm her, nor letting her feel insecure.]
[To fulfill her deep-seated need to "be needed," you asked things of her, made demands of her.]
[She, ever obedient to you, could never refuse. At the same time, she enjoyed your requests, for they made her feel wanted.]
[Your relationship naturally progressed from there.]
[In a cycle of requests and demands, she chose to stay in Japan to take care of you, giving up her plans to study in Germany.]
[High school ended quickly, and you both entered university. Nothing particularly significant happened during this time—you met her parents, your relationship deepened, and everything continued as expected.]
[Your meeting with her parents was far from pleasant, but you continuously worked to mend the situation.]
[University ended just as quickly. After graduation, both of you became teachers at the same high school.]
[Once hailed as prodigies, the two of you now worked tirelessly for the simple necessities of life.]
[You both could have had a brilliant future.]
[But now, simply standing by each other's side was enough to satisfy you.]
[Your married life was generally happy, yet the lack of her parents' wholehearted approval left a lingering regret.]
[The boundary between life and death arrived sooner than expected.]
[And in the endless solitude of what is called "death," you thought of her.]
[The person you could never stop worrying about, not even in the end.]
[Where is she now...? What is she thinking...?]
[Perhaps life has distinctions between mediocrity and greatness, but love has no such scale.]
[You still love her.]
[With lingering regrets, you close your eyes and step beyond the wall of death.]
[System Calculation: You have acquired the skill "Teacher LV2."]
Looking at the system evaluation before him—
And the barely passing score—
Minami wasn't particularly surprised.
From the way this simulation played out, it was clear:
Rio never pursued her studies in Germany.
She stayed behind because she cared too much about him.
In the end, she became a high school physics teacher, living a simple and unremarkable life.
And Minami himself, too concerned about Rio's feelings, never sought a more promising career—choosing instead to remain by her side.
Furthermore, his relationship with Rio's parents remained lukewarm, only improving slightly after their child was born.
From what the simulation's memories showed—
They visited her parents only once a year.
From every perspective, this was the very definition of a mediocre life.
If this were a romance game, where endings were divided into Happy, Normal, and Bad—
This was a Normal End.
Utterly ordinary.
Sure, he and Rio had happy moments together.
But it wasn't fulfilling enough.
So, a final score of 65—barely passing—made complete sense.
Minami propped his chin on his hand.
The only worthwhile takeaway from this simulation...
Was the new skill he acquired.
"Skill Acquired: Teacher LV2"
Just from its description alone, it was clear—
The profession he had in the simulation had now materialized into a system reward.
By simply closing his eyes, he now possessed the knowledge and experience of a teacher with over ten years of expertise.
"Not bad at all." Minami glanced over at Yamada Ryo, who was still sound asleep.
This would be particularly useful for tutoring the band members.
With this skill, their tutoring sessions would go much smoother.
"For now, let's put aside the system calculations and the final score."
Minami sat cross-legged again, refocusing his attention on the simulation screen.
He reached out and rewound the scenario to a crucial turning point.
"Here… this should be about right."
His finger stopped.
Looking at the choices before him—
It was the same "life-changing consequences" from earlier.
[1. Take an active approach! Push her forward—force her to make new friends!]
[2. This woman is too much trouble! Forget it! Oh, Yamada Ryo just messaged me on LINE—I'm replying to her!]
[3. She needs you right now. Stabilize the situation first, then figure out how to help her grow as a person.]
[4. Simulate it Yourself!]
Minami immediately ruled out Option 2, as it would lock him into Yamada's route.
Last time, he chose Option 3.
While it led to a romantic relationship with Rio, it ultimately resulted in a mundane, uneventful life.
So this time—
"What if I choose Option 1 instead?"
Minami tapped on the simulation screen.
He still had 330 points left.
Plenty to run another simulation.
If Option 3 led to a Normal End, then choosing a more proactive approach in Option 1 should lead to something better, right?
With that thought in mind—
Minami made his choice.
[Would you like to restart the simulation from this point?]
[Yes / No]
Yes.
Without hesitation.
[Remaining affection points: 30]
[Loading simulation...]
[Previous events recap: You were too focused on socializing with the neighborhood wife, neglecting Rio's feelings. She held onto you, expressing her anxieties. In response, you reassured her with words that were almost a confession, temporarily easing her fears.]
[But you understood that temporary stability meant nothing.]
[To help her overcome her trauma, you decided—]
[This is a life-changing decision.]
Minami's vision filled with a familiar scene from his memories.
Inside the quiet science prep room on that morning—
Rio clung to him tightly, voicing her insecurities.
The moment froze in place.
The previously "locked" choices became selectable again.
This time—
Minami chose Option 1.
[You believe her insecurity stems from her lack of stable friendships.]
[Instead of keeping her to yourself, you should push her to interact with more people.]
[Perhaps then, she could overcome the shadows of her past, step out of her self-doubt, and learn to connect with others.]
[Your intentions were good.]
[But you overlooked one crucial fact—]
[She was already an extremely fragile and anxious girl.]
[After hearing your near-confession just moments ago, what she needed was your immediate companionship and reassurance.]
[Not to be pushed into something she wasn't ready for.]
[Moreover, besides her need to "be needed"… there was another feeling within her that you failed to notice.]
[But in your eagerness to move forward, you completely ignored these two key points—]
"…?"
Minami narrowed his eyes.
Something felt off.
